Just past Xiao Man, close to Mangzhong.
Although the weather has changed dramatically since last year, with winter becoming more severe and lasting longer, and the spring breeze arriving much later, at this time of year, some warmth is finally beginning to show.
When the sky was still dark, it started to rain lightly in the capital.
The drizzle is like silk, washing the bluestone road outside City God Temple until it shines.
When the sun rises, the light rain stops immediately. The steaming water vapor is wrapped in the smell of incense, sweat and the sound of hawkers, and the three-mile long street from Ministry of Justice Street to City God Temple is as dense as mist.
City God Temple has a long history, especially in this world, and it is an important arrangement to protect the city. Therefore, even Golden Horde Wolf Country, which is mainly based on shamanism, built City God Temple when it ruled Beiping.
After the founding of the country in the Daxuan Dynasty, the city god of the world was granted the title of City God, and a four-level system of "capital, prefecture, prefecture, and county" was established. The Capital City God's Temple in Peiping was upgraded to the "Tianxia City God's Main Temple" and renamed "Dawei Ling Temple". The city god was named "Wei Linggong", and statues of the city god of thirteen provinces were erected to accompany it.
Since then, the Capital City God's Temple has become the hub of City God's temples in the world, under the jurisdiction of the Xuan Priest of the Ministry of Rites, and the major Daoist orthodox sects have sent out elite disciples to form law enforcement halls to jointly maintain Daoist order.
Because of the establishment of City God Temple, many customs were born.
For example, on the first day of May every year, Wanping and Daxing counties will carry the City God statue to City God Temple to "report on work". The ceremony is like a government trip. Along the way, there are "empty alleys to watch", incense gatherings and sideshows, which are very lively.
But the more lively one is City God Temple Fair.
City God Temple Temple fairs outside the capital are known as the "ancestors of temple fairs" in Beijing. They are open for three days on the first, fifteenth and twenty-fifth of each month, and the Spring Festival and May sacrificial periods are extended.
The temple fairs in the capital are naturally extraordinary, and are attended by merchants from all over the world. They are known as the place where all the wonders of the world come together, and even the ghost market is equally lively at night.
After all, here we can prevent people from using illusions to cheat.
Some unclean things brought out from the tomb will also reveal strange phenomena.
Not everyone has the ability to identify Killing Intent, so this is their best choice.
Today happens to be the temple fair held after April 25th. Even though Floating Fragrance Brothel had a major murder case last night, the people and businesses in the capital still went out to attend the temple fair.
Li Yan pressed the bamboo hat, wrapped Severing Dust Blade in a coarse cloth and slung his back, pretending to be an ordinary businessman and squeezed into the crowd. When he passed through the Ministry of Justice street at the east end, he saw that the bluestone road stretched for three miles, the business sheds were winding like a dragon's spine, the crowds were noisy, thousands of merchants lined up, and the flags covered the sky.
Above the flags, here are written "Suzhou and Hangzhou Brocade of the Song Dynasty" and "Xuande Furnace Treasure", and there are "Four Treasures of the Study" and "Ocean Rare Treasures" written on the other side. They are all held up in the air with bamboo poles of more than ten feet.
Whenever the wind blows in the streets, the hunting is like a battle formation.
This kind of place is obviously very suitable for hiding one's identity, but Li Yan's powerful sense of smell and hearing made him tortured. Even if Divine Ability was not used, all kinds of smells would rush into his nasal cavity crazily, and his ears would be filled with the noise of the market.
"New tea from Grain Rain! Longjing, Biluochun, you can pay three cents to watch the tea doctor order soup!" A Jiangnan tea vendor wearing a bamboo hat set up a green cloth shed, and the boiling water in the copper pot rolled like thunder. When Miancha poured out, it actually formed the shape of a kingfisher spreading its wings in mid-air, attracting passers-by to throw money...
"Emperor Huizong of Song<Willow Crow Picture> Authentic! Sold for fifty taels of silver!" The man dressed in silk and satin and dressed as a shopkeeper shook out the scroll, and saw on the silk scroll a crow standing on an ink willow branch, but his pupils were blood red.
Li Yan His nose moved slightly, and he smelled the fishy rot on the painting Killing Intent, and his brows suddenly furrowed.
This thing is not an authentic Emperor Huizong of Song, it is clearly a painting by Nightmare.
He heard Wang Dao Xuan talk about this thing. Some scholars and painters are obsessed with painting, and they still have residual memories after their death. If it is placed in the dark place of the old house all year round, it will attract Killing Intent to gather.
Killing Intent is weaker. Hanging it in the house all year round will make people have nightmares at night and make them restless.
If Killing Intent is strong, it may even turn into a spirit and harm people.
What's more, it can affect the surrounding earth veins and create a dangerous and dangerous situation.
During the Tang and Song Dynasties, there was a strange case, which was about a ruined temple in the mountains and the death of traveling merchants who often stayed overnight. After Essence Blood was done, after a long investigation, it was discovered that it was an Wei Jin ancient painting that was haunted, and it could absorb the evil spirit and be difficult to destroy, so it was later placed in Zhongnan Mountain to suppress it.
The picture in front of me is nothing, at most it ruins the feng shui of the Yangzhai.
If you leave City God Temple outside for a longer period of time, with the help of City God incense and its popularity, it can be directly washed away and turned into an ordinary painting.
But unexpectedly, as soon as the owner of the stall came out, a wandering Daoist showed surprise and left quickly. Not long after, several Confucian scholars hurriedly followed the Daoist, whispered to the boss, and bought the painting with a lot of money.
Li Yan immediately shook his head slightly after seeing it.
Needless to say, these Confucian scholars obviously wanted to buy it and give it away.
In the capital city, there are entangled forces and entanglements, and grievances are inevitable.
At the stall not far across the street, there were also people arguing.
But at the four corners of the corridor, a group of old scholars gathered around. Merchants were actually selling the fragments of "Qingming Shanghe Tu", and the masts of the canal boats in the painting were all inlaid with gold wire.
The merchants were shouting loudly, but a young scholar sneered and mocked, "What an authentic fragment, this is 'Suzhou Piece'! The real thing is in Prime Minister Yan's treasury."
The so-called "Suzhou Piece" means fake calligraphy and painting.
Talking about antiques in prosperous times and gold in troubled times.
Great Xuan Dynasty was at its peak, and there were many wealthy families in the world. The money left in their homes would get moldy, and it was even more impossible to give it to the poor. Therefore, the business of antiques, calligraphy, and calligraphy became more and more prosperous.
The trend of counterfeiting then flourished, and it was called "Cemen" in the world.
The bronzes made in Yuzhou and the calligraphy and paintings made in Suzhou are among the best.
The antique business also pays attention to buying and selling. If you buy a fake, you have poor eyesight, and you can lie and claim that you don't understand. It is not easy to go to the government to file a lawsuit, so the demand is also quite large.
"What the hell are you talking about?!"
After hearing what the scholar said, the seller became furious. He rushed forward and started punching and kicking the seller. People around him started to boo, and the patrolling Yamen officials pushed through the crowd and squeezed in. Another chaos broke out.
Of course, this is just a small episode at the market.
Li Yan didn't bother to pay attention, but kept glancing at City God Temple.
Hu Yuanyuan Since getting "Peach", the organization "Pan Peach Gathering" has not contacted her again. Li Yan suspects that the other party will show up only if she eats this thing.
The only clue now is City God Temple.
The demonic energy that controls "Night-Traveling God" must be hiding in it. Through this demonic energy, Zhao Qingxu and the Jianmu Organization may be found.
As for Prince Ying's Estate, there may be clues, but as Hu Yuanyuan said, Prince Ying's Estate became vigilant because of the incident at Jinmen pier. The murder last night must have made them nervous.
It's not a good idea to come to your door right now.
Taking advantage of the free time arranged by Hu Yuanyuan, why not come to City God Temple to have a look first.
This first stop is naturally City God Temple.
This place is also the headquarters of the Enforcement Hall. Originally, Li Yan came here with a clear identity. Due to his relationship with Wudang and Qingcheng, he would definitely receive a grand reception.
But when demonic energy invades, there must be an internal response.
In order to avoid alerting others, we can only investigate secretly.
It coincides with City God Temple Fair. Hidden in the crowd, you should not be discovered.
Unknowingly, Li Yan followed the flow of people and arrived outside City God Temple.
In the square in front of the temple, there is a forest of stalls and a stream of people.
On the east side is an incense candle stall, with bundles of sandalwood, agarwood, and mugwort piled up into a hill. The stall owner shouted loudly, "City God, come here Three Incense Sticks, keep your home safe!"
On the west side was a circus troupe. A shirtless man swallowed a sword and breathed fire, which attracted roars of applause from the crowd.
Farther away, a fortune teller held a cloth banner with a "straight iron mouth", a copper coin divination tube rattled, and a wealthy businessman in a silk shirt squatted in front of the stall, frowning.
Although it was noisy, there was a large fence separating the crowd from the City God Temple gate.
Li Yan took a peek and saw the towering temple door, with vermilion lacquer and gold nails, stone lions on both sides with angry eyes, hydrangeas and cubs pressed under the lion's paws, and red silk tied by believers still left in the lion's mane, swaying gently in the wind.
A gilt plaque reading "Monitoring Yin and Yang" hangs under the eaves of the temple, an owl squats on the yellow glazed tiles, and an iron horse jingles on the eaves, making a clear sound in the wind.
On both sides of the main entrance, there are two Zaoli clay statues more than ten feet tall, with green faces and fangs, holding water and fire sticks. Although they are made of clay, they are infused with incense all year round.
There seemed to be vitality between his eyebrows and eyes, which made the children passing by frightened and looked at him.
Ordinary people can notice the difference when they see it, let alone monks.
Li Yan can clearly feel that the incense aura rising from the bodies of the two gatekeeper statues, with a hint of Solemn and Killing Intent majesty, is floating in the sky above the temple gate.
This is a complete Dharma-protecting formation, with great incense. It is far more powerful than the two Heng Ha Two Generalss in Fengdu Ghost City. If any monks use Divine Ability to investigate, they may immediately fall into an illusion.
The core of the formation at the door is undoubtedly Demon Revealing Mirror hanging on the lintel.
Judging from the reflection of the mirror, it is far more powerful than the one hanging at the city gate.
Li Yan pressed the bamboo hat and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
It is worthy of being the City God Temple, Enforcement Hall general altar. This treasure is not available in some mountain sects.
If you want to enter it, you must restrain your breath. With Dragon Snake Plate covering it, you should be able to sneak in. As long as you walk along the various statues, you will naturally feel something.
While I was thinking, I suddenly heard a gong clearing the way, and the crowd surged like a tide.
"Wei Ling Gong goes out on patrol!"
Accompanied by majestic shouts, eight shirtless warriors came carrying a black-painted shrine.
In the sedan was carried a wooden statue of City God, with a golden face and long beard, and Red Robe in silver armor.
The gong clanged to clear the way, and the crowd surged like waves.
This is City God returning from a tour. After the surrounding pilgrims moved out of the way, they knelt down and kowtowed. Many people lit incense and candles in their hands. Amidst the green smoke, the golden plaque of the "Dawei Ling Temple" was about to fall.
"Open the door!"
When the statue of City God entered the temple, the soldiers guarding the door shouted loudly and led their men to move the wooden fence. The people who had been waiting for it suddenly rushed in.
Rumor has it that if you burn a stick of incense on your head, you can fulfill your wishes.
Especially City God, who judges yin and yang, so there are many people with grievances who have been waiting outside for a long time, not watching the bustling temple fair at all.
Just like Old Woman next to Li Yan, trembling and muttering, "City God, please open your eyes..."
It's a pity that the world doesn't know that City God has done its duty to protect the city. Even the underworld will not care about the grievances of the mortal world, let alone this earthly god.
The crowd was so crowded that Old Woman was suddenly squeezed and staggered, and the incense in his hand was broken.
Just when she was about to fall to the ground, her arm was suddenly held by Li Yan.
"Old man, I will accompany you in."
Li Yan nodded slightly, exerted a little force on his body, and the people around him were immediately squeezed away.
He used the clever power of Undying Imprint Method, and no one could notice it.
"Many... thank you."
Old Woman had something on his mind, so he muttered and walked tremblingly towards the temple.
In addition to the soldiers guarding the temple gate, there were also several Daoists looking in all directions with sharp eyes, but it seemed that because Li Yan was supporting Old Woman, they did not pay attention even though they were carrying weapons.
Soon, they followed the flow of people and entered City God Temple.
This City God Temple uses the official government-style layout of "facing the front and sleeping in the back", with three doors on the central axis, namely the Temple Gate, Shunde Gate and Chanwei Gate.
The main hall is the Dawei Ling Temple, with a width of five bays. The top of the mountain with a single eaves is covered with yellow glazed tiles with black trim. There are three bays on the top of the mountain in front. There are statues of Attendant "Wiling Gong" and standing statues of City God from the thirteen provinces in the hall, representing "City God to rule the world".
The back hall is the dormitory temple, where City God and his wife live.
Further back is where Enforcement Hall is, entry is prohibited.
As for the East and West veranda, there are "Eighteen Divisions", which symbolize the underworld's judicial organization.
Similarly, there are Daoists guarding the doors of each hall and in front of the statues.
Li Yan lowered his hat and helped the old woman move forward.
He could feel that there were restrictions everywhere in the temple, making it difficult for Divine Ability to detect.
Li Yan frowned slightly and looked at him calmly.
It has to be said that this method can indeed resist the monks' exploration, but many times, the problem often arises from within, just like in the Purple Canopy Mountain Cave day, there was a Daoist who was bewitched by evil spirits.
Rat One Rat Two was even hidden in the clay statue without being discovered.
This is obviously a big loophole.
They moved with the flow of people and finally entered the Daweiling Temple.
City God is a belief in humans and gods. Most of them are famous heroes in history. For example, the great Wiling Gong Ji Xin was a general under Hengao. Because he died for Liu Bang in the battle of Xingyang, he was revered as the "General City God of the Thirteen Provinces" by later generations.
In addition, there are Wen Tianxiang in Beijing, Qin Yubo in Shanghai, Zhou Xin in Hangzhou, Chen Wenlong in Fuzhou, etc., all of whom have left their mark on the world.
Li Yan supported Old Woman and walked past the statue of City God one by one, but there was no response.
Although he was disappointed, there was also a trace of happiness.
If something went wrong with City God Temple, then the capital would probably be riddled with holes.
The opponent can control Night-Traveling God, maybe it only infected the statue of the auxiliary god?
After Li Yan followed Old Woman for another circle, he was completely convinced.
City God Temple statue is not infected by evil energy.
Looking at Old Woman with a sad face next to him, Li Yan finally asked:
"Old man, what are your grievances?"
"Injustice? There is no injustice..."
Old Woman's eyes were blank and he said in a trembling voice, "Hejian Prefecture We were hit by a disaster the year before last. My whole family fled to the capital. My husband starved to death on the way. Last year, my son died of exhaustion building the river. This year, my daughter-in-law contracted the cold and went with her grandson. Now I am the only one left alive."
"I came here just to ask Master City God to give them a good pregnancy in their next life."
Li Yan After listening, he fell into silence.
He has seen this kind of thing too many times. No matter how high he is, he is still powerless.
Old Woman said while walking out City God Temple.
At this moment, Gou Du in his arms suddenly became hot.
Li Yan suddenly raised his head, handed Old Woman a few taels of silver, and quickly entered the market.
Following the direction pointed by Gou Liao, he came to a stall.
The owner of the stall, a young man wearing a small hat, kept looking around. When he saw Li Yan approaching, he immediately beamed. "Look objectively, these are all good things, Song Era's porcelain, Tang Era's jars, everything..."
Li Yan raised his hand to stop him and pointed at one of the black pottery fragments.
"Where does this thing come from?"
There is a smell of "flat peach" on it...